1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication apparatus having a server function, a method of controlling this apparatus and a storage medium storing a program for this purpose.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional multifunction peripheral (MFP) has a transmitting function for transmitting, in the form of a facsimile transmission or e-mail in accordance with settings made by a user, files such as a file obtained by scanning in a document and converting image data of the document to an electronic signal, a file received from a personal computer or other multifunction peripheral over a network, or a file that has been stored in a storage device such as a hard disk. Such a multifunction peripheral usually has an address book in which a plurality addresses indicative of destination devices can be registered, and is capable of transmitting a file to a destination indicated by an address that has been registered in the address book. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-252505 describes a technique in which, when a file is transmitted utilizing an address registered in an address book, presence information of this device that has been set as the address (the presence information is information as to whether the device exists and is capable of sending and receiving) is acquired in advance. If the destination is not valid, the user is alerted.
Recent MFPs have a file server function in addition to the above-mentioned transmitting function. With an MFP having the file server function, an external apparatus that exists on a network accesses a storage device within the MFP using a file protocol such as SMB or WebDAV and is capable of storing a file in the storage device of the MFP.
Further, when an MFP has the file server function, not only can a file be transmitted to it from an external apparatus present on a network but it is also possible for the MFP to transmit a file to its own storage device using a file protocol. For example, in a case where the file server function is active, the MFP transmits a file upon designating a path such as “¥¥localhost¥share” as the address. In this way the file is transferred to a file storage area (shared folder) that the MFP provides as a file server.
Thus, an MFP utilizing both a file transmitting function and a file server function is known generally. In an MFP capable of making joint use of these functions, whether the file server function is active or inactive can be set. This means that the MFP can be switched between utilization simply as a transmitting apparatus that transmits files and utilization not only as a transmitting apparatus but also as a file server.
There are cases where the user changes the setting information concerning the file server function used when accessing a file utilizing the file server function. Examples are a case where the user switches the file server function between the active and inactive states and a case where the user changes the file protocol (changes SMB to WebDAV, for example). A further example is a case where the user changes authentication information (user name or password) necessary to transfer a file utilizing the file server function.
Conventionally, in an MFP having a file server function and a file transmitting function, the above-mentioned change in the setting information relating to the file server function is not accompanied by a change in the address book.
Consequently, the conventional MFP is such that if the file server function has been switched from active to inactive, the address book will not reflect this changeover. This means that regardless of the fact that the file server function has been disabled, an address for which the file server is the destination will remain registered in the address book.
Further, the conventional MFP is such that after the file server function has been switched from inactive to active, the user must manually input and register in the address book every item of address information (file protocol and authentication information) for which the file server is the destination.
Further, there are instances where the file protocol is changed (for example, SMB is changed to WebDAV) or where the authentication information (user name or password) is changed with the file server function in the active state. In such cases the address book in which transmission addresses of files have been registered utilizing the file server function is not rewritten to accompany the change in the setting of the file server. As a consequence, even if an attempt is made to transmit a file by referring to an address registered in the address book, the file cannot be transmitted.
Thus, if the setting information relating to the file server function has been changed, the address book will not reflect the changed setting information. When the user refers to and utilizes the address book, therefore, the user experiences poor usability.
According to Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-252505, the above-mentioned presence information is acquired and verified at the time of file transfer following a change in the setting information concerning the file server function. If a defect in the address of the file server function is sensed, the processing for file transfer is halted. However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-252505 is such that if a defect occurs in an address of the file server function, the user may not necessarily be in the vicinity of the MFP and, even if the user is in the vicinity, the user cannot necessarily revise the address immediately. Hence a situation may arise in which file transfer cannot be executed.